The Package
by Pepe Le Pew
Summary: The moment he found the baby on his doorstep, he knew fate hated him. ::Hitsu/Ruki::  INDEFINITELY ON HOLD
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**Hehe, I love putting Toshiro in weird situations. Anyway, I don't own Bleach and I hope you guys enjoy this!**

**Main pairing: Hitsugaya/Rukia**

**Sub pairings: Kenpachi/Retsu, Ichigo/Momo, Byakuya/Rangiku**

**Warnings: OOC, strong language in later chapters, implied sex in later chapters, Original characters**

**EDIT: Thanks to the Writing Bunny for the help!**

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Hitsugaya Toshiro sighed.

A deep and heavy sigh that resonated from deep with in his chest and would probably have killed all manner of living things had it been something solid. At the very least it would've kept all his paperwork on his desk. Not that it was only _his_ paperwork. A certain someone's been shirking her duties again and even if he would bother looking for her, he knew it would be useless.

At this point in time – one in the morning – Matsumoto Rangiku was probably drunk off her head or already fast asleep.

He could bang his head on his desk for walking out of the office earlier the former day. If he had stayed, she'd be behind her desk doing paperwork just like him, but the moment he had stepped out, she had seen it as her chance to slip away. People could say what they wanted, Matsumoto Rangiku knew how to hide her spirit force when she wanted to.

He yawned, his mouth stretching wide before he clamped his hand over it. God, he was tired. He reached for his cup of coffee – he was more of a tea guy, but coffee kept him awake better – and sighed in annoyance at the fact that it was empty. He knew that if he stood up now he would go back to his quarters instead of do his work.

He gazed hatefully at the last pile left. If he could look it into spontaneous combustion, he'd have done so. It was only one pile left and if he could finish it off before the next pile came in, then all the better. He looked at the thick stack, if he came in early later, get maybe five hours of sleep, he'd have the pile worked off before anyone brought him more paperwork.

With the decision made, he got up and headed out of the office, placing his coffee cup into the kitchen before heading out completely.

He could tell it was going to rain later in the day. He could feel it in the exceptionally cold air and see it in the way the clouds had cut the stars and moon of from their viewing pleasure. All of Soul Society was fast asleep by now, the way it should've been. The ones awake were supposed to be awake.

He did not count himself amongst them.

He folded his hands into the sleeves of his haori and quietly trudged along the barracks of the Tenth Division towards his quarters.

The first thing he heard, from a distance, was the wailing of a child.

For a moment this confused him. Most female shinigami stayed on various contraceptives through out their career, choosing not to have children in the event that these children would be left alone when the parents died fighting something. It was an unspoken agreement between captains and subordinates that if a female shinigami decided to become a parent that they would first request permission to do so.

It was the only paperwork that never reached his desk, so where the child's wailing was coming from, he did not know, but whoever it belonged to, they had better shut it up.

As he came closer to his quarters, the wailing got louder. He frowned, wondering why no one was bothering with this.

As he turned the corner, he realized why.

The baby was on his doorstep.


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**Thanks for the reviews guys! **

**Just wanted to say that the first ten chapters will be from Hitsugaya's point of view and all in the same day, from there the next ten will be from Rukia's point of view, but not all on the same day. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be just yet. Also, this is just my take on it, but I do think that Hitsugaya would have a bit of trouble getting used to the idea of a child, so he's going to take a while before accepting it all and building a bonding relationship with the child. Just my opinion...**

**Anyway, Enjoy! I don't own Bleach!**

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**He rushed forward, plucking the basket into his arms and shoved the door of his quarters open.

He wasn't sure how any of his subordinate slept through this wailing and he didn't want to know for how long this had been going on, but the idiot who left their kid on his doorstep had better hope he didn't find them or they found a good friend to take care of it.

His harsh plucking of the basket had caused the child to wail louder, so with a well-placed silencing kido, his quarters were turned sound proof. He stared at the wailing child in the basket, looking for a letter to explain this. There was always a letter in the movies, the scarce few Matsumoto had been able to drag him into watching that had a situation like this.

He found no bloody letter.

Tiredness and screaming children were a recipe for a pounding headache. One that started at the back of his head and forced its way towards the front until it was hammering just behind his eyes with every scream the child gave. There was nothing in the stupid basket that could inform him as to why the child would be screaming.

Give him a military strategy that needed to be executed with precision and he could do it in ten minutes flat, with four added backup plans and a just incase he didn't make it planned out before he even reached the area in which his mission was located.

Give him a screaming child and he was lost.

Genius did not mean phenomenal.

Just because people expected him to know everything upon first glance, did not mean he did. He was good at dealing with things he was familiar with. He was good at dealing with things that weren't screaming bloody murder and causing his headache to turn into a migraine. He was good at dealing with things when he could think, when his head wasn't killing him and…

He took a deep breath, figuring that if he continued with his line of thought the child's screaming would stop and someone would come looking for a dead child.

Murder, even in Soul Society, was unacceptable unless it was official order.

In what universe would the assassination of a child be an official order?

He wondered if there was a logical, strategically approachable manner to silencing a screaming child. He would like for this logical, strategically approachable manner to silence a screaming child to pop into his head in the next five seconds. Staring at it was obviously not making it stop crying.

He stuffed his fingers into the child's mouth.

It stopped crying almost immediately. It blinked up at him with large tear filled purplish blue eyes and sniffled. It took a second before realizing there was something in its mouth, however the moment it did that, it wrapped small, tiny fingers around his finger and sucked on the part that was in its mouth, the eyes drooping shut.

The child's flailing inside of its blanket had pulled its arms loose, what amazed him was the sheer amount of size he had on this small little being.

However that didn't solve his problem of where it came from.

And now he had his finger stuck in its mouth.

Fucking wonderful.


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**Next chappie, with more grumpy Shiro in it. I promise that Rukia will make her appearance in the chapter after the next one. Hmm, other than that I don't have much to say. **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**The five hours, in which he had planned on getting some sleep, he had spent utterly awake plotting ways of getting rid of the child and finding out whom it belonged to.

The moments he dozed off, he was awaken by a screaming child he had no idea on how to shut up.

Needless to say he was tired, annoyed and just a teensy tiny bit enraged, as he stalked towards Unohana's office. She was after all the captain of the medical squad. She would know why the child keeps screaming and with the recent addition to her and Zaraki's family, he figured she would know what to do with it. And considering that she had to keep record of every shinigami's DNA and blood type and whatever else, she could also figure out whom it belonged to.

And then she could figure out whom to give it to while he tortured its parents.

Never in his live was he going to take care of another child again. He would even forgive Kusajishi for wasting his time. She was an annoying brat with no respect for rank, but at least she knew what battle tactics were and didn't cry all the time. In the last five hours – in which he should've been asleep – he had learned something about himself.

He hated, absolutely, positively hated, children.

All types of children.

Especially baby types of children.

He shoved the door to the Fourth Division open, hammering twice on Unohana's office door and shoved that open too.

Unexpected rudeness from him, he would admit, but he was tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Unohana took it all in stride, probably used to the brutish attitude with what she had to deal with on a daily basis since she got married to Zaraki. Not only was there Yachiru, their boy Hiro, but she also had to look after Zaraki's self-appointed sons, Madarame and Ayasegawa. She smiled at him, her eyes briefly dropping to the baby in his arms, before raising back to him.

He wished they would look judgmental, so he could explain that it wasn't his and that his lack of knowing what to do was not his fault.

"Hitsugaya taichou, you are holding that child wrong." She murmured as she turned back to what was in front of her, closed it carefully and set it aside. "Can I help you with something?"

"You can tell me who this fucking kid belongs to so I can go kill its parents." He snapped in response. He was going to pay for such rudeness later, he would send her something to apologize, but after he got some sleep.

Whether she realized he was tired or not, he didn't know, but he was glad that the endearing smile remained on her face as she rose up and walked towards him. She took the child from him and carefully held it in her arms before leaving the room. He slumped down in the nearest chair the moment she was gone with the child.

Relief washed over him, now all that remained was reprimanding the two idiots who that child belonged to and then he could continue with his life as if it never happened.

His relief was short lived.


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**I'm having lots of fun with this. I was literally attacked with a new plot for this last night, so I'm back to having only ten chapters pre-written, but so far it's going great. I've decided that I'm going to do the whole thing from Hitsugaya's point of view and I still don't know how many chapters there will be. Same warnings and same pairings apply though, I'm not changing that. Hehe, anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews guys, you are all very awesome! **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach!**

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**"…ou.."

He stirred slightly at the voice that could be heard faintly. It was far off, like it was merely a whisper, but it was damn persistent.

"…taichou…"

He decided that if that voice didn't knock it off soon it was going to die in the most painful way ever. He was starting to loose the steadfast grip he had on the bit of sleep he had captured since entering Unohana's office. The last dredges of sleep faded from his mind with the thought of Unohana. It took him a moment to remember why he was even in her office.

"Hitsugaya taichou,"

He sighed and lifted his head, twitching at the pain the back of his neck. He had merely rested his head back against the wall behind him. He must've slipped down in the chair in the short while he had slept, but it was apparently enough to leave a kink in his neck. He looked at Unohana with bleary; sleep dazed eyes. Eyes that would much rather still be asleep than be looking at her.

"What?" he growled in response as he rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes.

She smiled patiently at him, the child still in her arms and sucking happily on a bottle of milk. "It's a health baby girl, I estimate her to be around a day or so old."

Hitsugaya looked at her and then at the child and then back up at Unohana. "I don't care." He stated simply as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "I want to know who it belongs to so I can give it back." He snapped.

The endearing smile slowly slipped from her face as a serious expression settled in its place. "I see," she murmured softly and looked down at the child.

"Well?" he pushed. "Do you know who the parents are?"

"I do." She answered calmly.

He drummed his fingers against his arms, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for her to continue. She seemed uncharacteristically eager on making him wait in eager anticipation. Does she realize how much careful planning goes into murdering people for disturbing your sleep? Obviously not, she just had to smile and people feared her.

"Are you going to tell me?" he finally snapped.

She raised her head to look at him again.

There was a look in her eyes that confused him. Something between anger and pity, something he couldn't quite describe. It was strange seeing those emotions on her face at the same time. It was strange to think that Unohana Retsu, wife of Zaraki Kenpachi, knew what anger was.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he growled, immediately going on the defensive.

He had no duty to that child.

She could not seriously hold him responsible for it. The child had parents that could take care of it. Dumping it on a captain's doorstep did not automatically mean it was the captain's responsibility. He had no hand in the making of that child and thus it would…

"You are this child's father."

What?


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**Next chapter...and more unanswered questions for our poor Toshiro. **

**To answer Kittens hellfire: I like to have pre-written chapters so I can update daily, a story will progress way too fast if you post everything you already have and it won't really give people time to put feedback on every chapter. I don't think reviews are the be all and end all, but they do help to keep a writer motivated, so I like to know what people think of a chapter before I post another one. Whether there's one review or two. I hope that answered your question.**

**To answer ChiChi-O: I'm glad that you liked it and thanks for always leaving such nice reviews on 'The Others'! And thank you for reviewing this story too! Always makes me smile!**

**To answer Ari: Haha, yeah, I can see a chibi him too, beating at a chibi anything that he doesn't like with a stick or Hyourinmaru. Lol, thanks for reviewing!**

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**"Don't be ridiculous!"

His voice boomed through the room, effectively causing the child to scrunch its nose up and start screaming again, pulling away from the bottle in its mouth to do so. Unohana sent him a look that immediately had him lowering his voice.

"That child can not have my DNA in it." He hissed through his teeth.

She looked straight at him with a calm expression. "You can be present while we do the tests again. However, we will have to wait a few minutes while Isane gets the mother."

"Mother!" he shouted, cringing at the look she sent him. "What mother?"

"In the natural course of things, Hitsugaya taichou, intercourse between a man and woman is needed for the conception of a child." She said calmly. "Thus, by natural law, there will be a mother. This mother is being collected by Isane."

"I know how fucking children are made! What I want to know is how it is possible if there hasn't been any sex!" he shouted, refraining from slamming his fists into something.

How could something so small be the cause of so many problems? He couldn't actually even remember the last time he had sex, so unless the kid was really dropped on his doorstep by a fictional bird, that child was impossibly his. Was the woman stupid or something? Had Zaraki rubbed his idiocy off on her somehow?

He took a deep breath and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. He had to clam down and think logically. It was a bit hard with the child screaming again, but it was possible. He just had to think how this could've happened. His brain hurried through memories of every female he had been in contact with, sexually or otherwise. In the end the results was the same. He figured out when the last time was that he had sex, but that wasn't really something he wanted to think about right now. He had to figure out if there truly was a possibility that the child was his. He already had an answer to that.

The child was not his. The child could not be his. There was no way the child could be his.

Not unless the mother was Momo and the child was at least three months old. And there was no way Momo would've kept something like this from him, even if waking up the next day had been awkward as hell.

It had also been the day he had vowed never to let Matsumoto convince him into drinking again. Things with Momo were still uncomfortable and it had been almost a year.

The door to the office opened quietly. "Unohana taichou, is something wrong with Nii-sama or Ukitake taichou?" his heart came to a screeching halt as he stared at the black haired Kuchiki princess as she stepped into the room. Her eyes landed on him and she bowed. "Oh, sorry Hitsugaya taichou, I'll come back…"

"Stay," Unohana interrupted.

There was no way. There was just no way the woman could be serious.

Kuchiki? Kuchiki fucking Rukia? Was the woman serious?

She had to be.

"This is the mother, Hitsugaya taichou."


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**Reaction time for Rukia. I hope this is unexpected...not really sure if it is. Hehe, but I have to say I had fun with this chapter. **

**Hmm, not much else to say. **

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Enjoy!

I don't own Bleach!

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"Mother?"

Hitsugaya smirked smugly, can't be his kid if the supposed mother didn't even know about it. Ha, and Unohana thought he would fall for this joke. He didn't know who it was, but matchmaking was not

appreciated and he would like them to know this, preferably while he shoves their zanpakuto up their ass.

"Mother of what, Unohana taichou?" the Kuchiki princess questioned.

"This child, Kuchiki-chan."

There was a small pause, a moment in which nothing happened. Hitsugaya was smirking, waiting for the outburst. Kuchiki had a temper like no one's business and even Unohana would have to start doubting it if she claims she wasn't pregnant.

Kuchiki stepped forward and peered down at the face. "Oh my gosh, she's so cute!" she gushed suddenly, her voice slightly pitched higher than usual. Hitsugaya stared.

No! That was the wrong reaction!

"What's her name? Does she have a name? Where'd she came from? Aw, she's so cute and she's sleeping, look at that!"

He gaped at her. What was wrong with her? Did she realize that Unohana called her the mother of that child?

WHY WAS EVERYONE STUPID?

Kuchiki spun around to face him. "Can I hold her?" she asked, excitement bright on her features, her eyes shining in a way he's only ever seen them shine around Kurosaki. Pure and utter joy practically radiated off her body. "It's not like we get a baby in the Court often, she's so sweet!" she gushed as she turned back, Unohana handing the baby to her anyway.

She had the same form as Unohana. The same motherly, doting type of radiation coming form her as she held the child, it annoyed him because honestly, the more it cried the more he wanted to slam it into a wall, but yet here it was, not crying. She cooed down to the sleeping child, wiggling her finger as if the brat could actually see her.

Why was she doing that? What purpose did it serve besides to make someone look completely and utterly idiotic?

He hoped to God no one expected him to coo to a child?

He scrunched up his face; he wasn't taking care of it, much less cooing at it. It wasn't his.

"Aren't you the sweetest thing?" Kuchiki asked softly, her tone weird and reminding him sickeningly like Chappy the Bunny. "You make Chappy seem not cute."

"Kuchiki," he growled in annoyance, "Unohana claims that child shares our DNA. So unless you have some explaining you might want to do, shut up."

She glanced at him, before turning her attention back to the child. She was gently brushing a finger down the side of the baby's face, smiling softly and endearingly.

Kuchiki looked up, still smiling.

"There's just one problem," she said slowly, "I've never been pregnant."


	7. 7

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**Hiya! **

**You guys are wonderful, thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews, I'm really glad you all like this story. **

**Also wanted to add that there is one other pairing I didn't mention earlier, and that most of the sub pairings are mostly in passing - they don't appear much, is Byakuya/Matsumoto. Don't ask why, but I just love the idea of them together - and imagine the little kiddies - they'd be gorgeous. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chappie too! More mystery for you. **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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They were now all sitting quietly in her office, both him and Kuchiki on the opposite side of her desk. Kuchiki was holding the small child in her arms, gently swaying her from side to side so she could sleep better.

There was an array of blood tests, DNA tests and various other tests lain out before him on the desk. He had studied each of them with the critical eye of a man who's done many investigations in his life. Of the twenty-six tests, seventeen had been conducted by himself and each of them had come out on the exact same answer.

This child was his. This child shared both his and Kuchiki's DNA.

Kuchiki's records had been drawn from the Thirteenth Division. The Thirteenth Division was the only Division with a member trained as a qualified medic, which was from the Fourth Division, other Divisions had medics, but not as well trained as Ukitake's. Ukitake required his Division to go on a bi-monthly check up to ensure that none of them had somehow contracted his disease and thus no member of the Thirteenth Division's records would be found in the Fourth Division

"This is not possible." He murmured softly.

"Hitsugaya taichou…"

"I know what the tests say, Unohana." He interrupted her. "But we have to look at fact here. Kuchiki's record proves that for the last nine months she had been for a full check up every two weeks. She has not been pregnant, now or in the past." He said as he shoved the folder towards Unohana. "Another fact is that I've not seen this woman for almost eleven years now. This child is genetically ours, but I don't understand how she could've been conceived."

It's been almost ninety years since the Winter War. Between the time before the Inoue girl's disappearance – in which he had barely seen the woman beside him – and the last time he had seen her, he had not seen her at all. And the last time he had seen her he had barely spoken to her. She had delivered papers from Ukitake and then she had left after a brief chat with Matsumoto.

"I understand that Hitsugaya taichou, however the child still needs to be raised." Unohana said calmly. "We will obviously have to induct a thorough investigation as to how the child's existence came to be, but until such things have been cleared out with Yamamoto sotaichou, she needs a family."

There was a moment of silence.

His tired brain realized this was the part where the good and honorable Hitsugaya taichou should say he would do it, but he had bad news for anyone who thought he could raise a child. He was a genius, but child rearing was so far out of his league it was almost hilarious.

"I'll do it." He refused to admit surprise by the firm and steady tone of Kuchiki's voice. "There is more than enough space at my home to raise her and I am quite sure if the situation is explained to Nii-sama he will provide me with what I need."

A dangerous emotion rose in Hitsugaya's chest.

The idea of Kuchiki Byakuya raising anything that belonged to him, annoyed him. He wasn't sure what about it bothered him so much, but it did. And he didn't like it anymore than the idea of Kuchiki Byakuya having anything to do with the raising of his child. The woman beside him was perfectly fine, but just because Kuchiki Byakuya was married to his lieutenant did not mean he would let the man raise his child.

"No." He said shaking his head. "I will provide you with what you need. We can do this together."

He was going to regret those words.


	8. 8

**Next is the naming chapter! For now it is just Hitsugaya and Rukia talking to each other. **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach!**

**P.S: YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME, thanks for all the reviews!**

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Kuchiki Rukia had received upon her promotion to Fourth seat of the Thirteenth Division a cottage like home on the outskirts of the Court. It was near the woods and even though she claimed she was alone, Hitsugaya knew there were more guards around this place than she would've liked there to be.

The cottage itself wasn't that big. It had three relatively nicely sized rooms, a kitchen, a dinning room/living room, a bathroom and a small study of which the walls were covered by every imaginable book the woman could've laid her hands on. It was small, but it was fitting of Kuchiki Rukia. And it was fitting of the sister of the most powerful clan leader in all of Soul Society. Everything inside of the small cottage would've made the captain's quarter's look dull in comparison.

He didn't bother spending too much time pondering where everything came from. None of it would be essential in the raising of a child. Unohana had given them bottles, pacifiers and nappies, but she didn't have clothes that would fit the small child.

"You have a nice home," he commented, feeling the need to say something, "you moved here after your promotion, correct?"

"Yes," she answered and handed the small, still sleeping child to him, "would you like some tea?" she questioned.

He nodded his head. "Is there a specific reason you never moved out of the Manor?" he asked her conversationally, carefully sitting down and ensuring that his arms were held perfectly for the comfort of the child. Unohana had given them a ten minute crash course on how to hold the baby and what to do when feeding her and changing her nappy.

He did not look forward to the latter of the three.

"I enjoyed living there, I saw no point in moving. However, when Nii-sama married Rangiku Nee-sama I decided to move out." She explained. "I wanted to give them the privacy they would require as newly married couple."

Newly married wasn't exactly what he would call it, then again, she's been living here for almost the same amount of time as their marriage had lasted.

Kuchiki and Matsumoto was still a mystery to him.

She had met him officially after the Winter War; she had been delivering papers to Captain Commander for Hitsugaya when she had run into Kuchiki. He had become her new pet project, someone with which she could forget her childhood friend. It was surprising to all of them that the Tenth Division lieutenant was allowed to force her company on the Kuchiki leader. Hitsugaya would never say it allowed, but he was glad they found each other.

Not for Kuchiki's sake, but for Rangiku's. She was like his big sister and he trusted her with his life.

Most people saw the fun loving and lazy sort of attitude she could have, but no one bothered looking at the woman who had a reason for hiding her paperwork beneath the sofa, who snuck in late at night to do it when he had already left. No one looked at the woman who got drunk off her ass only twice a year – the day Ichimaru saved her from starvation and the day he died.

They saw the woman who went out to every pub and bar whenever invited by the Eleventh's Third and Fifth seats. They saw the woman who barely drank and assumed what she was drinking was alcoholic.

And for that alone he was grateful that she had found Kuchiki, because no one was brave enough to speak ill of his wife.

He didn't get it, but he felt satisfied that his lieutenant was in safe, capable hands.

"The thought of moving never occurred to you before?" he questioned, averting his eyes to the child in his arms. He left the implication in the air. Kuchiki might be a good choice for Matsumoto, but he had still allowed his sister to be placed on execution without trial without fighting it.

"My brother is a good man, Hitsugaya taichou." He raised his head as her tone sunk in. Her voice cold and hard and her eyes holding and almost gem like tinge to it as she gazed at him. "And I would honestly appreciate it if people would stop judging him for something that happened ninety years ago. He was doing his duty, as he was trained to do."

Hitsugaya nodded his head. "Fair enough," he answered.

She nodded her head.

"We should start thinking of names."

He almost groaned.


	9. 9

Kuchiki had created a bed for the child with a mesh of pillows and blankets, keeping her perfectly cordoned in with the pillows and comfortable with the blankets. Her tiny mouth was wrapped around a pacifier and her small hands were curled near her head as she slept.

Kuchiki's legs were folded beneath her on the other side of the sofa, with a large space between them, and her hands were wrapped around a warm cup of tea. There was an almost endearing smile on her face that he found really distracting.

It softened her features and eyes and gave her an almost other worldly beauty. It was so much easier to just stare at her; whatever else needed his attention could wait.

He found that a bit strange in his whole life there had only ever been two people he had a serious crush on. He would never admit it, not aloud or otherwise, but he once had a crush on his lieutenant. People had no idea how hard it was being smothered in her assets and not develop a crush on her. And it was made even more difficult since around the time he had just become a captain and hormones that had decided not to exist had decided they were ready to come into existence.

Then of course there had been the thing he had felt for Hinamori. That resulted in them ending up in the same bed after a drunken night out with Matsumoto and now things were awkward and genius or not there was just a couple of things he didn't quite know how to fix. He sort of felt bad that for the last year it was him who was avoiding her. No one called him on it, he was a captain and he was busy, but he knew for a fact that she knew he was avoiding her. Another thing he would never admit aloud was that he missed his best friend, badly.

"I think we should give her a really cool name."

However this new development was something he didn't understand at all. He was not going to fall in love with Kuchiki because of duty. That child was an enigma and until that enigma had a plausible reason for existing, he had no duty towards it.

"I think we should name her Chappy, cause she's…"

"Fuck no." He said shaking his head, he wondered for a moment if she had suggested that to find out if he was paying attention or not. He hoped she said that to find out if he was paying attention or not.

Kuchiki blinked at him. "Why not? She's cute and Chappy's…!" apparently she was serious.

"It's a cartoon series based off a modified soul with a speaking deficiency." He snapped and glared balefully at her over the rim of his cup. "And Chappy is not cute."

She huffed. "Well what do you suggest then?"

"Shizuka," he answered pointedly.

She looked at him like he lost it. "No." He raised his brows. It was a much better and nicer name than 'Chappy' would ever have been. She looked at the small child. "That's like calling a dog a cat." She said shaking her head. "She'll feel like she needs to live up to her name or something."

"Great, that's a good thing." He said shrugging.

"No it's not." She responded firmly. She paused for a moment. "How about Gin?" she asked.

"Gin? Are you insane? We name our kid after that man and all hell would be loose." He glared at her. "And besides, I will not…"

"It means silver! It's a normal, nice name!" she snapped annoyed.

Their first argument as parents, how nice and it's about names too. He found that utterly cute. He would like to make his sarcasm known.

"Just no, like fuck no." He said shaking his head. She glared at him some more. "Ruri, if something with a color is so important to you."

Kuchiki looked almost utterly scandalized. "Ruri? Emerald? No. She doesn't even have green eyes! Are you blind?" she huffed and studied the small child. "How about Rini? That's nice, isn't it?"

"No it's not." He said calmly before staring at the small child again.

It amazed him how quiet the child was when she slept. It seemed like she couldn't shut up when she was awake. There was always something that drove her to screaming. She was like a storm when she cried, relentless and raging.

"Kai." He muttered softly as he gazed at her.

Kuchiki tilted her head to the side and studied him silently for a moment. "It's nice." She said softly. "Why'd you choose that?"

"It means ocean or sea." He murmured. "She's like the ocean, calm and gentle one minute and raging the next."

Kuchiki smiled at him.

"I like it."

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**Chappy – Modified Soul**

**Shizuka – Quiet, quiet perfume**

**Gin – Silver**

**Ruri – emerald**

**Rini – little bunny**

_**Kai – Ocean, sea, **_

**From what I gathered Kai in Japanese means ocean or sea. You can add things obviously to the end of the name, but then that changes the name. However there are many countries that use the name Kai and each have their own meaning for it. One country's meaning is 'rejoice' and another's is 'earth'. But I think Hitsugaya's explanation for it is fitting.**

**So the AN's beneath the story this time, I didn't want to spoil it for you guys. Hope you don't mind. **

**There's that and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	10. 10

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So to all of you who had hoped for Byakuya's entrance. I hope he's in character, he's one of the most difficult characters I've ever tried to write. Not exactly the overprotective big brother type, but I sort of see Byakuya as a sadist little bastard. After all, he doesn't kill people in one fell swoop of a sword, he kills them with millions of tiny little blades...

**Anyway, Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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Hitsugaya Toshiro had never set foot on noble grounds before.

He wasn't a noble and thus such things had never really been part of his daily planning. What was he going to do there anyway? If he wanted something to be taken to Kuchiki, he would send someone to do it, not do it himself.

So with the firm command – and a no nonsense tone since he's been avoiding it for a whole week – Rukia told him to don his best and formal yukata. Considering the fact that he didn't really have anything more formal in his closet than his shinigami uniform and haori he had informed her that he would be wearing it. The poor woman nearly killed him for that statement, baby in her arms as she went. She had made him go and buy a new set of formal clothes to wear to this meeting.

He would never admit that he was rather nervous about meeting Kuchiki Byakuya as the father of Kuchiki Rukia's daughter.

They had no plausible explanation for the existence of the child and Kuchiki Byakuya was a man who tended to prefer plausible reason. The only good thing he could see in this whole debacle was that Matsumoto had to be present as Kuchiki's wife and that she would at least be on his side during this meeting.

The servant that answered the door told them that he would lead them to the outside teahouse in the back of the garden. Hitsugaya couldn't help but think that it was the perfect place to murder someone violently for doing something he didn't even do. It was far away, secluded and most probably he would be dead before he even completed stepping into the room.

Was this meeting absolutely necessary? Could he not just leave?

The teahouse was a comfortable size, a single circular room with a small open fire and a table at which they could sit and have cookies with the tea. Kuchiki and Matsumoto were already seated when they arrived. They bowed as they entered, he was the head of a noble clan, and sat down with their legs folded beneath them.

Kuchiki's eyes immediately dropped to the child sleeping soundly in Rukia's arms.

Hitsugaya stiffened, but forced him-self to relax, it wasn't like Kuchiki would kill the child. Rukia smiled. "This is Kai, Nii-sama." She said brightly before carefully holding the child out to Kuchiki.

"Cute!" Matsumoto squealed brightly as she took the child before Kuchiki could. The black haired man looked like he didn't know whether to glare at her of soften his eyes. "Just look at her, I bet she's going to be a really looker when she grows up. You're going to be beating boys away with a stick, taichou."

"More like skewer them with my zanpakuto." He grumbled under his breath, the idea of any boy coming near his kid just annoyed him. He cleared his throat. "Thank you for this invitation, Kuchiki taichou."

The man inclined his head, but remained silent as the two women started to talk about how to hold babies and how to change nappies and how to feed and how to this and how to do that and more and more how, they remained silent. A willing servant served tea; tea was drunk by willing receivers and still no words between them.

Eventually Matsumoto dragged Rukia away to show her the new room she had been working on, just for the baby girl. He almost begged to go with them, but decided to remain where he was and face his fate.

"Hitsu…"

"I don't know how it happened." He interrupted.

Kuchiki raised his brows. "Hitsugaya taichou," he said calmly as if he was not interrupted. He raised his cup to his lips and took a sip before setting the cup down again, "You are aware that your child will not be accepted by the Kuchiki clan."

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, his hands tightening around his cup of tea. "I don't give a fuck about whether or not she will be accepted by this clan, Kuchiki." He whispered coldly. "I warn you now, if your clan so much as think of harming her or Rukia, I will lay waste to this clan. Kuchiki blood will flow through the streets of this compound and their screams will fill the air and I will make sure you stand to watch this happen."

He was surprised when the man's mouth quirk in a smirk behind his cup, as if he was hiding it from Hitsugaya, he wasn't sure if he was just imagining it, but that smirk was rather sadistic.

"I can respect a man willing to defend my sister and her child, Hitsugaya taichou."

He wished the people around him would start reacting the way he expected them to.


	11. 11

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**StarPrincess999 suggested that Hitsugaya should get advice from a certain Eleventh Division Captain, and I liked the idea. However, I'm not really sure this is exactly the sort of advice StarPrincess had been talking about. Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy it. Also, I'm sorry if I didn't reply to the reviews. I couldn't remember to which I replied and which I didn't...yeah...so I promise to reply to the next ones!**

**I don't own Bleach. **

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He was feeling more than just a little panicked.

He couldn't find Kuchiki for the life of him and the kid was screaming again, she was just a little over three weeks old now, and there was something weird about the way she was screaming this time and God how do you shut her up?

And of course Kuchiki couldn't be found. And it was like the more he panicked, the more the kid screamed and the more she screamed, the more he panicked and it was endless cycle of panic and screaming and honestly was starting to work on his nerves. Not even breathing deeply was helping him calm down. He was tempted to put the kid down and just walk away and pretend he didn't have a clue as to what happened to her.

However tempting that was, facing Kuchiki later was not a fun idea. It's been three weeks and he's learned something vital about the black haired woman. Kuchiki Rukia had a temper that was not stopped by anything and that temper often clashed with his own and when the two of them got started on it, people normally walked miles around them.

It was good to know he could argue with her. It meant that she wasn't a compliant idiot who would do everything he commanded her to do. It meant that she had opinions of her own.

However Kuchiki was missing and her right now her opinions weren't going to stop the child from crying and he was slowly going insane.

"Oi, Hitsugaya!" he sighed and walked faster, wanting to get away from the Eleventh Division as quickly as he could, he was not in the mood for Zaraki, his comments and his idiocy. "Hey little man don't ignore me or I'll pound ya head into the ground." Zaraki snapped at him.

He spun around. "What? I'm a little busy as you can see." He snapped as he raised the child into the air.

Zaraki blinked down at her as if he hadn't noticed the crying until Hitsugaya had mentioned it. "Why's she cryin'?" he asked.

Hitsugaya stared at him for a moment. "Fuck if I know." He snapped. "I have to find Kuchiki. She doesn't cry when she's with Kuchiki. Just my fucking luck too. She just started crying and I don't have a clue…"

"Ya check her nappy yet?" the man interrupted crossing his arms over his chest.

Hitsugaya stopped and gazed up at the brute. "Her what?" he asked slowly.

"Nappy?" the man repeated. "Ya know…" Zaraki frowned at held his hands out. Hitsugaya was reluctant to hand the child over to him. His kid was going to be a big thing, what with both his parents being relatively tall and he was pretty sure Zaraki's genes were going to play a big role in the kid's size.

However Hitsugaya's girl wasn't going to be that big, what with both her parents being shorter than the majority of Soul Society. He had grown exactly one foot and one inch since the Winter War, which left him and five foot five. It at least made him taller than Kuchiki's four foot eight.

It was still going to count against his kid.

"Just give me the damn kid." Zaraki growled.

Hitsugaya carefully handed her over and watched with mild shock at the gentleness he was handling her with. He followed the larger man as he stalked back into the Eleventh Division, short Tenth Division captain in tow and screaming little girl.

The whole Eleventh Division seemed to disappear at the sound of the wailing child, but Zaraki didn't seem to notice.

He entered a room that looked to have been designed for a baby and carefully set the screaming child on a table with a soft white towel over it. Hitsugaya watched as he went about changing the child's 'nappy'. He was real careful about it to, wiping down, powdering and putting on a new nappy that made the child look like she was about to drown until he tightened it just right and handed him his kid back.

"That's a nappy." He said as he dumped it into a nearby trashcan. "And ya need to change it when it's wet, otherwise the kid's gonna wail like no one's business."

"So this is what Kuchiki's been doing for the last three weeks."

"Ya have got to be fuckin' kiddin' me."


	12. 12

**Ichi's first appearance! I sort of liked this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it. I have up to chapter thirty-two written out, so I'll probably only be posting for a while instead of actually writing more chapters - though fear not, I am not abandoning ship - I just want to get a bit of revision done of one of my original novels that I'd like to publish if possible. But I will get back to writing more soon, but I doubt it'll affect updating!**

**I don't own Bleach!**

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"Wow, I'm gone for a couple of weeks and I come back to…this."

Hitsugaya tried to discern whether Kurosaki sounded jealous or not. He didn't sound it as he gazed down at the small child in his arms. She was sleeping soundly, her tiny hands curled against his chest. Compared to Kurosaki the child looked like a toy.

"I almost feel sorry for her, midget, what with your genes and all."

Rukia glared at him. "You're just jealous!" she declared smirking.

Kurosaki raised his eyes to her for a second before grinning and shaking his head. "She's cute. Quiet too, I'd have figured anything coming from you would be loud." They stared at him as if he's lost it. Kai was not quiet.

She cried almost exactly twenty-six times a day for no apparent reason and that didn't include the times she wanted to be fed or have her nappy changed (something only Rukia did because Hitsugaya outright refused to learn how).

"Thanks," Rukia muttered.

Kurosaki nodded his head slowly and handed the baby back to her. "Can I talk to you?" he asked turning towards Hitsugaya. The white haired captain was surprised for a second, but nodded his head nonetheless. "We'll be right back, Rukia, then you can tell me how this happened." He told her.

She scoffed. "Would've if I could've." She told him. "We don't know either."

Kurosaki just raised his brows before leading the way out. Hitsugaya was curious when he led him out of the cottage yard and stopped a couple of blocks away. He said nothing though as Kurosaki turned back to him and crossed his arms over his chest. Hitsugaya would admit, with his height and power it wasn't really all that surprising that he was wearing one of the captain's white haori. Kurosaki was an impressive sight in that haori.

His whole aura demanded respect.

"So the kid's yours." He stated calmly.

Hitsugaya smirked. "Jealous?" he asked tauntingly.

He didn't really expect it.

Kurosaki joined them at the ripe old age of thirty-two, he had been shot, the bullet entering his heart, when he tried to save a shop owner from being robbed. Hitsugaya always knew his heroic bullshit would get him killed, you can't fight humans with a sword and lots of spirit force, doesn't work that way. They forced him to join the academy but they sent him back to the Court after three week because he didn't need help with anything besides Kido and he sucked at it. However everyone said that Kurosaki's easily snapped temper had mellowed out over the last forty years of his captaincy, which was why he didn't expect to find himself shoved up against a wall faster than he could blink and with no way to reach for his sword or get out of the grip.

"You break Rukia's heart and I'll break every fucking bone in your body." Kurosaki sneered quietly into his ear. "And I'll do it slowly too."

Hitsugaya had no doubt that Kurosaki would do it.

And just as fast as it happened, Kurosaki let him go and walked back to the cottage, as if he had not just threatened a fellow captain.


	13. 13

**I like this chapter. I know nothing happens in it, but I still like it. I hope you guys do too. **

**Now, I apologize for being gone so long! Our internet was acting all weird and my dad just got it fixed, so my deepest apologies, but I'll be updating normally from now on. And thanks so much for all the reviews guys!**

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach. **

**Edit: Thanks to StarPrincess999 for catching a repeating that didn't make any sense!**

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**Hitsugaya paced up and down, occasionally glancing to the child sitting quietly, propped up against pillows, in the corner of his office. The fact that she was awake and quiet made him think there was something wrong with her.

It wasn't that he wasn't that enjoying the blessed silence; but still, she always cried when she was awake.

However the child's silence wasn't what was his problem at the moment. It was in fact the child's mother.

What has it been? Exactly a month in a half? Yes, it was exactly a month a half since the annoying baby brat was dropped on his doorstep by a stupid fucking fictional bird. He would like to find it and kill it, but no one's seen any birds around. Though he would like to thank the bird for one thing. Not that he would admit that out loud, he still would like to thank the bird for allowing him a chance to get to know Kuchiki Rukia.

Banshee from hell she might be when pissed off, but gorgeous banshee from hell she might be when pissed off.

He wasn't sure what it was about her, but there was just something about the way she moved and the way she acted that drew him in to her. He would actually willingly spend time around the child – and not feel like he was about to die or go deaf – if she asked him to join her and the child for dinner. She did it often to and he's learned a couple of things from her, besides the fact that she liked Chappy the Rabbit.

Rukia's favorite color was orange and not because it was Kurosaki's hair color.

Her least favorite color was yellow, because it made her look like a cartoon lemon.

Her favorite food was pizza, but if she had to choose something from Soul Society it would have to be Rangiku nee-sama's teriyaki chicken (which was actually edible).

Her favorite piece of human clothing was a dress Kurosaki bought her for her birthday; her favorite piece of clothing from Soul Society was a kimono of pure silk that Kuchiki gave her for the same birthday.

Her favorite way to tie up her hair was to the back with the single strand of hair falling to the front.

Her favorite candy was the Chappy the Bunny lollipops.

Her favorite time of day was nighttime when it started to cool down.

Her favorite season was spring, surprisingly.

Her favorite movie from the Living World was anything Disney, because the princess always found her prince.

Her favorite piece of jewelry was a silver, diamond and onyx encrusted butterfly Kurosaki gave her for Christmas.

She's had exactly seven crushes since joining the ranks of the Shinigami, Kuchiki Byakuya when she first saw him (that evaporated the moment she was adopted into the clan) Shiba Kaien (he just became a good friend, because she was not a slut and was not going to ruin his marriage), Abarai Renji, Zaraki Kenpachi (it was weird, but she thought it was cool that he was so strong and didn't care what other people thought), Ukitake Juushiro (because he didn't treat her like a Kuchiki, but like a shinigami), Ichimaru Gin (she couldn't give him a reason why she had a crush on the creep) and Kurosaki Ichigo.

She's afraid of falling in love because the two times it really meant something the man was married and the other saw her as a sister.

She can't decide which between her adoptive brother and self appointed brother she would rather not tell if something bad happened to her because of someone else.

She saw Yamada Hanatarou as her little brother, because no one really seems to care for the little guy and he did everything he could to make her stay in her cell comfortable as well as treat her like a human being, even though she was a criminal - at that point in time.

She loved it when he used Hyourinmaru because she thought the ice/water dragon was the coolest thing since dust particles (and she admitted this with a blush so strong the King could probably have seen it form his dimension)

The door suddenly burst open and Kai made a soft sound.

Kuchiki's face was slightly flushed and it was obvious she had run a great distance to get to the office. He tried to beat the urge to smile away.

"Sorry I'm late!"

He smiled anyway.


	14. 14

**Hehe, I sort of like this chapter too...**

**Hmm, not much to say except thanks for all the reviews guys, and alerts and favorites, you guys are all awesome cakes and deserves to recieve many hugs for such niceness. **

**I don't own Bleach, enjoy!**

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**Large violet blue eyes gazed up at him, silently observing him as if he was something curious. Those observant violet blue eyes seemed almost judgmental as they looked at him, as if saying that he was an idiot and didn't know anything. Thos violet blue eyes looked at him in a way that said he was not the owner of those eyes' mother and that his incompetence was shining through spectacularly.

"Don't look at me like that." He growled.

The small child's response was to giggle charmingly and flail her tiny arms.

He glared at her, the motion just making her giggle again. "How hard can it be to change a nappy?" he grumbled. "There should be an easy tactic to this."

He startled slightly when he felt Rukia's chest suddenly press into his back as her chin rested on his shoulder and her hands folded over his. He stood motionless, his back stiff as a board, finding it hard to relax with her so tightly pressed against him. She moved his hand through the motion of changing a nappy. In the ten minutes it took to change a nappy, his heart hammered against his chest as her soft, sword calloused hands commanded his. He could feel every breath she gave against his back with the rise and fall of her chest and against his neck as that breath left her mouth.

Something, which sounded a lot like Hyourinmaru, told him he should be concentrating on the motions she was making him go through, but he was more concerned with her pressed against him.

Nappy changing should not be making him feel funny, it should piss him off at the little girl whose nappy needs changing.

"That is how you change a nappy, Hitsugaya taichou." And with that Rukia left again.

He stared at the two-month old child for a moment. The first time he changed a nappy since they got her and he couldn't remember a damn thing about it. He gently picked the child up; she remained small. Zaraki had politely informed him by the time his son was four weeks old he was much bigger than the little doll he carried around.

The white haired little girl gazed up at him and giggled again, flailing her tiny arms as if he was doing something funny. He scoffed and picked her up, carrying her back out to Rukia's living room. She was quietly making dinner again, humming softly to herself as if there was no care in the world. "Ok. She's been fed. Her nappy has been changed. What else?" he asked curiously.

"Bedtime." She answered.

He could do bedtime. How hard could bedtime be?

He nodded his head and headed to the room that was now dubbed as Kai's nursery. It had taken Rukia a little over a week to convince Kuchiki that she would need to have the room changed. Of course only the best of the best could be given to the Kuchiki princess's daughter and thus the nursery had everything in it that a baby could possibly want and need.

He placed the child in the crib. "Sleep." He commanded. Kai blinked up at him, giggled and flailed her arms again. He frowned down at her in displeasure. "Sleep. It's your bedtime so close your eyes and sleep." She yawned, but her eyes remained open. He's told her to sleep so why hasn't she gone to sleep yet?

Was there a manual on childrearing? Maybe if there was he'd know what he was supposed to do after the 'sleep' command had been given.

"Try singing or humming," Rukia called to him from the kitchen. He gaped at the small child as the meaning of those words registered to him.

Kai giggled and flailed her arms.


	15. 15

**Not much HitsuRuki in this one, but a bit of HitsuHina friendship. I've said this in another fic, but I'll say it again. I like Hinamori. I couldn't really care less if anyone else didn't like her. It's not going to change my opinion of her. Also, I think she and Rukia would make out good friends, pretty much the same way I think that Hitsugaya and Rukia would make a good couple. So, no animosity there. Luckily though - for those who don't like her or any of the other couples or characters - this is a story about Hitsugaya and Rukia and the majority of them don't appear that much. **

**So with that said - and it is my personal opinion, you don't have to agree with me - Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach. **

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The soft knock on his office door made him look up.

Matsumoto had left long ago and the night-darkened sky outside told him he should start heading back to his quarters as well. He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed his spirit force to expand over the area of his office, trying to discern who would be on the other side. For a moment there was nothing, a faint flicker of spirit force, but too small to tell him who it belonged to.

The person behind the door hid herself well.

"Come in, Hinamori."

The bun haired girl gently pushed the door open and smiled softly. "I didn't think you'd let me in." She admitted.

He studied her. She looked healthier than she normally did. Her cheeks were rosier and her eyes held that vibrant shine it used to hold. She was taking care of herself again, her cheeks were slightly chubbier too, she was eating right again. It was a look that she only started sporting after Kurosaki became her captain. It had taken Kurosaki three months to do what it had taken him fifty years to do back then. He found himself scrutinizing her, something he did whenever he saw her, whether from a distance or up close, looking for the signs of insanity she had sported before Aizen's trial and after she had recovered from the war.

"I know what you're doing." She told him as she sat down. She pulled the chair closer to his desk and rested her elbows on it and her chin on the heels of her hands. "I'm fine." She added. "Congratulations by the way, I heard from Kurosaki taichou about the little girl."

He cringed. She was his best friend. She shouldn't have heard from Kurosaki and she shouldn't have heard after he's been playing dad for almost three months.

"I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't tell me, but I guess I get it," she continued conversationally, filling his silence with her voice. "I have something I want to tell you." She said and grinned brightly at him as she crossed her arms on the desk.

For a moment the thought of her confessing to him slammed into him and he spared a moment wondering what he would do. He didn't love her; he knew that. He loved her, but not like that, she was his best friend, his little sister (though technically, she was older). He was almost certain he was developing feelings for Rukia, but until he could figure out exactly what he felt, he was not acting on it. Though what would he tell Hinamori if she did confess to him? Would he be brave enough to test her sanity again? Would he turn her down even though he knew she was fragile? Would he be able to hurt her?

No.

"I've been dating Ichigo for the last four weeks."

He wouldn't he able to hurt his best friend. He wouldn't he able to tell her that he didn't…what did she just say?

"Sorry?"

"I said I'm dating Kurosaki taichou." She answered, no crack or fear in her voice.

He blinked uncomprehendingly at her.

She's dating Kurosaki.

"Bastard and he had the audacity to threaten me!"

Hinamori raised her brows as his fist collided with the desk.


	16. 16

**A bit of Rukia's past...or at least how I see it. And more insecurity from our lovable taichou. Anyway not much else to say but..Enjoy!**

**THANKS FOR A 100 REVIEWS GUYS!**

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**"How can you make this look so easy?"

Rukia looked at him. "Make what look so easy?" she asked as the two and a half month old child wrapped a tiny hand into her hair and giggled brightly, happily.

"Everything," he muttered, folding his hands into the sleeves of his haori, "like childrearing is easy. I don't get it. She hates me. No matter what I do, she won't do what I want her to do. She cries when I'm around and you're not. She doesn't go to sleep no matter how much I hum. And I can count the time she's done that giggle thing in my presence on my one hand." His cheeks tainted pink as he continued to speak, "I mean I'm good at everything I do and this kid comes along and make me feel like I'm an idiot."

She laughed. "It's what kids does, Hitsugaya taichou." She said and turned her attention back to the girl in her arms. "And I've had lots of experience. It doesn't happen often in the districts closets to the Court. There everyone is willing to take care of the new kid that arrives, especially if they're small, but the higher the district the less people care." She explained. "I was lucky enough to have found a group where we tried to welcome everyone in. Where we grabbed the new kid off the street as fast as we could, sometimes those new kids were babies and then we all pitched in to take care of them."

She smiled at the giggling child. "We had a specific group of children in our 'family' that went looking for newly arrived souls. Inuzuri was lucky, the amount of soul transfers that went to it was rather little and the ones we did find we were able to raise to a relatively high age."

"Do you regret leaving?" he asked softly, pulling his hands out of his haori and taking the child she held out to him.

She looked at him for a moment, her eyes glistening with something he wasn't able to describe, but then she turned and headed into the kitchen. He followed her quietly, holding the child gently as she reached up to play with the bit of his hair she could reach.

"I don't regret becoming a shinigami." She said. He hadn't really expected her to answer him. It was a rather personal question and he didn't know her well enough to be allowed to ask such questions. "I never regretted becoming a shinigami or any of the choices I made since. I miss the old 'family', but by the time Renji and I decided to become shinigami the majority of them were dead, most of the little ones wanted to go out on their own and they never came back. Some of the others died fighting over scraps of food or water.

"Besides, I've had many great experiences since becoming a shinigami. I'll admit though, this one is by far the best."

His heart hammered stupidly in his chest with the heart-warming smile she threw his way and he had to fight the full blown grin that threatened to spread across his mouth. He merely quirked his mouth and smiled slightly at the small child in his arms.


	17. 17

**Not much to say...so Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**Hitsugaya groaned softly as the warm mouth laid open mouth kisses down in his neck as nails scraped down his cloth-covered chest.

His hands were running over ever part of her body he could reach, touching and caressing and holding as the mischievous mouth returned to his and a tongue plunged into his mouth. He didn't let her hold the upper hand for long as his tongue tangled with hers and he took the battle for dominance back into her mouth as he pushed her back against the door, hiking on her legs up against his side and rolling his hips against hers.

He was probably just a little drunk, but so was she and that's what happened when going to a party arranged by Matsumoto.

They probably would've stayed longer too, but Hanatarou – who had been babysitting for them – had let them know that he had to leave urgently for an emergency procedure at the Fourth Division and that Kai was fast asleep and if they hurried they would be home before she could wake up.

They weren't exactly inside, but there was no one that could see them from the front door and it was close enough to hear if anything happened.

They suddenly tumbled inside as Rukia got the door open and they pulled away from each other for a moment, allowing them to take deep ragged breaths. They didn't stay apart for long, her hands pushed the black tux jacket off his shoulders – it had been a formal, western event that Matsumoto had arranged – and flew through the buttons after she tugged off the tie. They were stumbling towards the bedroom by the time she had the shirt off.

He pulled her close to him, one hand on the small of her back and the other slowly dragging the zipper of her dress down. He hooked his fingers into the thin straps of the pale blue dress and slowly tugged it down, watching with half lidded eyes as more creamy skin was exposed. He didn't get to watch as it exposed her breast as she pulled herself flush against him and kissed him eagerly again.

He crouched down slightly, not breaking the kiss and lifted her out of the dress. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he made his way to the bedroom, plopping down on the bed and hovering over her as his hands skimmed over her sides and one finally reached her breasts. She arched into him and moaned softly.

He leaned down to her chest and every muscle locked in place as a window shattering wail echoed through the house.

For a second neither of them moved. They remained frozen and panting out of breath as the wails rose in pitch and urgency. He was tempted to ignore the cries, but it was clear there was now way in hell Rukia was going to do that. She pushed at his shoulders until he rolled to the side and got up, grabbing a robe from behind the door in passing as she hurried to Kai's room.

He forgot about the brat.

He fell backwards on the bed and gazed up at the ceiling.

That just killed the mood.

He was half asleep by the time Rukia came back. She sat on the bed wit her legs folded beneath her and her fingers entwining with each other in her lap. The sash of the robe tied loosely around her waist. "Well that's sobering." She muttered.

"And mood killing," he added.

Rukia smiled. "I think she actually just saved us from a rather humiliating situation in the morning." He raised his brows to look at her. She beamed down at him.

"How about we go on a date first?"


	18. 18

**This is sort of one of my favorites, I had tons of fun writing this chapter. **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**Babies, Hitsugaya decided, were a pain in the ass.

It's been a month, a whole freaking month since Rukia suggested the date and guess what…he still hasn't gotten his date because a certain someone either interrupted the planning or there was no one to look after her.

In _all_ of Soul Society there was _no one_ to look after her.

He could probably have gone to his grandmother – he visited her dutifully every week, on Wednesday – but so far he hadn't been able to figure out how to avoid disappointment. This was a Court matter; he wouldn't be allowed to tell her that the child was dropped on his doorstep by a fictional bird. She would be disappointed that he hadn't told her he had a girlfriend, much less a wife and child.

Kai could do exactly one thing on her own by now: she could sit up. It was spectacular. She was three and a half months old and all she could do was: sit up. Somehow he felt like he was cheated out of something. He was the genius prodigy of the Gotei Thirteen. His name was going down in the records as the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society. He's the wielder of the strongest ice/snow type zanpakuto. He fought on par with Espada and various other nifty little things. The mere mention of his name sent fear down the ranks of criminals. People – though not all of them – respected him.

The most his daughter can do?

Is giggle like the world is butterflies and rainbows and sits up.

That's it.

That had to mean he was being cheated out of something.

Except his date with Rukia of course.

Everything was obviously Kai's fault, he decided as he glared at her. Now if she was less prone to crying about bullshit and she could walk and talk and act like a genius's child was supposed to act, then he would be on a date while his daughter would be off somewhere doing what a pureblood shinigami should be doing.

"I feel cheated."

"Cheated?" Rukia echoed curiously, the clinking of plates could be heard behind him.

"Yes cheated. Shouldn't she be able to do more than…nothing…by now? I mean she's my kid. She should be running around waving a sword or something." He grumbled.

"Ah, Toshiro-kun," he turned his head to look at her. No point to call him by title if he was the father or her child and much less after how close they had come to start conceiving a little whatever for the girl. Rukia had this sort of deadpan expression on her face. "She's not even six months old." She said calmly.

"I see." He said slowly. "And this is a problem how? What if she's stupid?"

The pan hitting him in the back of the head felt like it was trying to crack his skull open. He wasn't sure what was in it, but the splatters of it that touched his skin through his shinigami kimono burned like hell. He spun around and grabbed the pan, waving it at her. "What the hell was that for?" he snapped.

"For asking if she'll be stupid!" Rukia snapped back, glaring at him.

"Well I don't want a stupid kid!" he snapped, crossing his arms.

He barely ducked away from the plate she threw at him. "If she is you'll just deal with it!" she snapped. "You don't call your own kid stupid, idiot!" she glared at him, as if daring him to say anything else.

He huffed, spun around and sat down with his arms folded over his chest in a rather petulant manner.

"It's not fair."


	19. 19

**Another one where our precious Hitsugaya-chan is off to see Zaraki for advice...strange isn't it? **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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**Apparently telling a woman that her kid might be stupid is a bad idea.

They then go on this vindictive streak where they ignore you, or if you are of higher rank, refer to you by rank in cold clipped tones while they marched away.

That was why he was standing in front of Zaraki's office, contemplating whether to knock or not.

"Just come in, ya brat."

Of course the man would know he was there. He can't sense spirit force for the life of him, but when someone doesn't want to be noticed, he'll notice.

Hitsugaya sighed and pushed the door open, quietly shutting it behind him before turning to the idiotic brute. His son was sitting quietly in his lap; the boy was just a little over a year old, if anyone's estimation of his own kid was right. He was around ten months older than Kai was. The child's tiny legs were settled on the cross of Zaraki's, he looked like a doll compared to Zaraki, who was doing paperwork over the boy's head like he wasn't even being bothered by it.

Hitsugaya had tried that once, but Kai kept pulling the paperwork off the desk.

The Zaraki boy sat quietly his tiny hands resting on his father's thighs as he back rested against the older man's stomach and his steel blue eyes kept drooping. The kid almost looked like a prince sitting in a throne. He had Unohana's eyes. Not that one could really tell the difference, but the steel blue was definitely Unohana's.

"Wha ya want?" Zaraki asked, throwing his brush down.

The only on who used a pen was Kurosaki. His reports were printed out too and he only signed them with a pen. It took him six months to train his Division in Computer Efficiency.

"So let's say…"

"Can't help ya if ya said somethin' wrong to Kuchiki," Zaraki interrupted.

"About the kid."

"Ya apologize."

"She's ignoring me."

"Ya hunt her down and ya make her listen."

"I've done that, she ignores me or tells me that…"

"Ya hunt her down and ya make her listen, want me ta give ya a crash course?" he asked, crossing his arms.

The boy looked up at what was shadowing him now, looked back to Hitsugaya and promptly closed his eyes as if he was bored with all of this.

"How would you suggest I hunt her down?"

"Ya grab her and pin her against the nearest wall."

Brutish, definitely not what he was known for, and bound to get him kicked in the balls. Good plan…he didn't think so.

"Wha'd ya say tha' pissed her off?"

"I might or might not have implied that my kid might or might not be stupid and that I might or might not want a stupid kid."

Zaraki laughed, it boomed around them in the enclosed space and Hitsugaya crossed his arms and glared defiantly.

"Want a bit of advice?"

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes.

"Never insult the kid."


	20. 20

**Tada...I don't really know what else to say? I'm running out of things to say! Le gasp!**

**Anyway, Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach!**

* * *

Kai was now four months old.

Rukia had avoided him for a full two weeks.

So, he did something he was probably going to regret the moment she found him, but at least then she will be in his company and she'd have to hear him out.

He had kidnapped Kai.

He wasn't exactly hiding either, he was sitting on a grassy hill in the Tenth Division, beneath a large oak tree that was creating lots of shadow with the small girl in his lap, entertaining her with his spirit force, manifesting it into a large, glowing ball of energy and keeping it just out of her reach. She was too small to be able to handle the power cropped up in that simple move and he was not going to be murdered for accidentally freezing his kid from the inside of out. Rukia could find him any time she wanted to, once she realized the kid was gone from the Kuchiki Manor. It did take a bit of planning, but it would also alert Kuchiki to up his security a bit.

He concentrated a bit and looked down at the soft, downy white hair as she giggle and clapped her hands together as the spirit force shifted and twisted and used the condensation in the air to create a frozen dragon in his palm. The dragon glinted in the sun above them and Kai tilted her head back, looking at him in a manner that seemed to be asking permission for something.

He nodded his head and watched as she leaned forward, settling one small hand against the arm around her tiny waist and stroking the other down the back of the ice dragon, drawing back slightly as the coldness of it surprised her. She giggled happily and touched it again, straining a bit against his arm. He spared a moment to think that the dragon resembled Hyourinmaru to a T.

He hissed as a fist collided with the back of his head and he was suddenly pissed at himself for getting so enamored by the child's reaction to the dragon he had created that he hadn't notice someone approaching.

"How dare you?" Rukia suddenly shouted above his head and he felt the little girl in his lap jump at the loud voice.

He glared up at her. "Dare what, Kuchiki?" he growled. "Remember your place Fourth Seat."

She kicked him at him, but he caught her leg. "Don't throw rank at me!" she screamed. He studied her carefully, allowing his spirit force to brush against the tendrils of hers that was flying around them.

Her spirit force was laced with panic and fear. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she glared down at him. Her cheeks stained with already shed tears and her hands shaking as she ripped her leg from his. There was a wild look to her eyes, one induced by fear, one induced by panic, one induced by anger.

"You can't just do that!" she shouted. "She was in the Kuchiki Manor!" she screamed again, her chest rising and falling rapidly as new tears suddenly started falling. "We though someone took her, we thought someone who wanted to harm Nii-sama took her mistaking her for his child. We thought someone was going to kill her!" she screamed.

He hadn't thought about that.

He grabbed the front of her shihakusho and pulled her down, wrapping his arms around her and tightening his fist around the dragon. She kept her body arched, so as not to crush Kai against his chest, but didn't fight his sudden and impromptu hug.

"I'm sorry."

He hoped that the sincerity could be heard, because he meant it. For everything that was already done and for everything that was going to happen from this point onwards.

Because he was not good with this whole dad business, but he was going to try.


	21. 21

**Ah...Shiro-chan's long awaited date...I will leave you with that. **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach. **

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He finally got his date.

He should've known the moment Matsumoto volunteered to help Rukia pick out a dress (or formal kimono if she wanted) he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off of her.

The dress wasn't really that elaborate. A black, strapless dress that sat loose around her body and had an almost summer dress kind of effect, with a pair of black heels and that was it. It wasn't really that elaborate at all, except for the fact that the loose material seemed to fall around Rukia in just the right way. In a way that touched her curves and left a lot to the imagination. And having his imagination run wild with him while in the middle of a dinner date, was rude, which was why he had to work on not letting his eyes fall to her lips.

He wasn't sure what she was talking about.

Mostly because when he would try to read her lips to catch onto the conversation his mind would drift away to how they had felt against his skin, which was sort of useless for a conversation.

When he wasn't enamored with Rukia's mouth he found that she was actually worth the talk. He could have a normal, sense making conversation with her about anything from duty to sand and have a debate worth his breath with her about anything from duty to sand. She had a temper as fierce as Kurosaki's when she wanted to make a point known and her believes were solid. She was not the ditzy princess he had figured she was.

Looks were a great turn on, but he would be the first and not the only to admit that he appreciated a great mind far more than looks.

Rukia had a style and grace about her that made him think of snow. He figured with her zanpakuto affinity it was a clichéd thought, but she really was as gentle as a snow flake and harsh a snow storm when she wanted to be, he was glad she preferred the in between stage where she could be gentle and harsh at the same time and get her point across.

He was the perfect gentleman as he walked her back to her home. His jacket was laid out over her shoulders to keep her from the chill in the air. He was walking a respectful distance from her, one that said they were together, but as friends – unless she wanted more.

And all the while conversation flowed, as if they would never run out of things to talk about.

He felt a bit annoyed when they finally did reach her front door and for a moment the two of them merely stood there, motionless as if waiting for something from the other. He was rather reluctant to leave her in there even though he knew the only other two people in there were Kai and Hanatarou. He knew she saw Hanatarou as a little brother and would do anything to defend him, so the most she would do was wake him up and convince him to go back to sleep in the spare room.

Hanatarou was still another guy and not even him – who just happened to be the father of her child – had stayed in her house over night before.

She smiled that beautiful smile of hers. "I had fun." She said as she started to pull the jacket from her shoulders and clutched it in her hands. She smiled up at him. "You're nice to talk to when you don't kidnap your own daughter."

He could feel the blush spread across his cheek at her words; he turned his face away from her.

He turned back to her and his eyes widened as her mouth pressed against his. She pulled back; her cheeks alight with a blush. She cleared her throat and gave him his jacket.

"I'll see you around, Toshiro-kun."

The door closed with a click behind her and he smirked as he walked back to his quarters, jacket thrown over his shoulder and kept there with his one hand.

Not part of the plan, but he still got his kiss.


	22. 22

**I know, I know, I'm terrible. I'm really sorry for not updating. I don't really have an excuse _;**

**Hehe, hope you guys enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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Hitsugaya has two things he really doesn't like to do.

He doesn't mind doing paperwork; honestly, it's not that bad. While he yelled at Matsumoto about her paperwork there was never really anything behind his yelling. It was something he started doing and it had become a routine. It was something that would be noticed if he didn't do it.

He didn't like thinking of the past and he didn't like thinking of the future. He liked living right in the moment because whatever happened in the moment happened, there was no need to wonder, no need to question, no need to ponder, no need to fear. It was just that. It was happening.

However kids made people think of the future, made people think and wonder and worry and question.

He wondered where his sudden relationship with Rukia was going.

He wondered if he was going to marry her.

He wondered where the hell Kai came from, because there were no fictional birds and she was not conceived normally.

He wondered what she would be like when she was older.

He wondered what he was going to be like when she was older.

He wondered if he would grow old with Rukia.

He wondered whether or not she would want to become a shinigami.

He wondered about which Division she would choose if she became one.

He wondered if he and Rukia would have more children.

He wondered about what his grandmother would say when he finally told her.

He wondered about what type of zanpakuto she would have.

He wondered about how she came into existence.

He wondered about whether or not what he felt was love.

He wondered about whether or not Rukia loved him.

He didn't like thinking about the past or the future because it left him with unanswered questions and for a man who was Captain of the Division that did internal and external investigations it was annoying.

An investigation led to answers. Answers led to understanding. Understanding led to knowledge.

Not knowing the answer to things worried and annoyed him.


	23. 23

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**We see a bit more of Hiro. Hehe, hope you guys like him. **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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"How is this conducive to her brain capacity?"

His question was met with silent stares. It was as if the people around him didn't quite understand what it was with him and smarts. He didn't want to break their tiny little hearts – globs of blood in Zaraki's case, he doubted the man had a heart – but whether or not they liked it, his daughter was going to be smart, exceptionally so if he had anything to say about it.

From what he's gathered this play date nonsense is nothing more than parents coming together to either complain about work or gush about their children's latest accomplishment or to share tips. So far Kai and Hiro have sat on the blanket, surrounded by toys and their bottles, doing nothing more than press their hands against a book while Hiro muttered to Kai in baby language she couldn't reciprocate in. The fact that the book is still perfectly fine is a miracle.

Kai liked to tear things.

At fourteen months he could already walk and talk – which made Hitsugaya feel severely insulted, because how the hell can anything that comes from Zaraki be smarter than anything that was supposed to have come from him? – yet somehow the stupid child just sat there like he couldn't do any of it. He could've been showing Kai how to walk or how to talk, but no. He's just sitting there, mumbling in his baby talk about something in the book while Kai looked like she actually got it.

"Why must everything go about how smart it'll make her?" Rukia asked glaring at him, as if daring him to imply that Kai is stupid.

He rolled his eyes. "I just don't see what the point of this is." He said calmly as he took a sip of his tea.

"The point, Hitsugaya taichou, is to build social skills at a rather young age." Unohana answered smiling gently.

He studied her for a moment, all of them turning away from the two children. "I see. And these social skills they're supposed to be learning here, what are the chances of that actually being remembered?"

"It's the foundation, Toshiro-kun." Rukia answered. "Something they can go on when they become slightly older and start making friends. The further you get from a certain age the less you remember about that age, but the closer you are to it, the better you remember." She explained.

"I see."

So this pointless exercise was to get them to become friends.

He frowned suddenly at his cup. Were Unohana and Rukia trying to play matchmaker here? Friends he could understand, but anything more and there would be a problem. His daughter was going to be nun. There is no way in hell anything Zaraki made is going to be romantically involved with anything he was supposed to have made. Like hell!

"Fwien."

Hitsugaya wrinkled his nose as he looked at the boy that was standing at his father's knee. The boy barely saw over his father's knee, his tiny hand lost in the folds of Zaraki's uniform. What the hell did 'fwien' mean?

"Yeah, yeah, tha's why ya should be over there keepin' her company." Zaraki informed him, knocking his sake cup back – no tea for the big man.

"Fwien!" the boy snapped, his brows furrowing.

Zaraki sighed. "Yeah, I just…"

"FWIEN!" the boy shouted unhappily, pointing his pudgy little hand to the blanket.

With a sigh they all looked in the direction where his 'fwien' was supposed to be.

Zaraki blinked a couple of times.

"I think your kid just learned to crawl or walk." He said conversationally.

Hiro's 'fwien' just happened to be gone.

He thought they should know. It wasn't really important, they could decide themselves if they wanted to care, he just thought they should know that his 'fwien' left.

Just a thought.


	24. 24

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**Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I sorta forgot I had this up and my my lack of writing inspiration it isn't helping. I'm running out of pre-written chapters too. Here's a question for you guys, how would you like to have Hitsu-chan woo Rukia-chan? I have absolutely no experience in this and would like the help. Just keep in mind that they are in Soul Society, won't be leaving it sometime soon and where the wooing truly begins they have a mission together without Kai.**

**Anyway, until then, Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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Blind panic.

It was something he's never felt before. He was a soldier, a leader of soldiers. He has faced situations where lesser men would fall into utter panic. He's faced despair, he's faced concern, he's faced panic – normal, run of the mill panic, he's faced all kinds of things, but never before has he faced blind panic.

Kai was gone. She didn't have enough spirit force to look for her in that manner.

His chest constricted with every breath he took and it was like the air wasn't reaching his lungs. The fogging of his mind he was familiar with, he's experienced that before, but that had been out of anger, anger was easier to deal with than panic. It was like his heart was hammering against his chest, telling him that it was going to stop any minute now and he should enjoy the last chance he had.

The whole Eleventh Division had been ordered to look for her, in every corner.

Rukia wasn't much better off. From the fear and panic in her eyes, the exact same look she had sported when he took Kai from the Kuchiki Manor, it didn't get better. The only conclusion he could make was that as Kai grew this feeling would become something he would be very familiar with.

This feeling, the one he's been trying to avoid for however long, this feeling was telling him 'you are a father, you are her father'.

By the time an hour has passed is not only the Tenth Division – under threat of death – the Thirteenth and the Sixth all involved with the search as well.

And the feeling doesn't leave. The longer they search, the worse it becomes. The longer it went, the more it felt like his chest was collapsing in on his lungs and heart.

Hitsugaya closed his eyes, his back falling against the nearest wall as he slid down. He rested his arms on his knees, his hands dangling downwards as he gazed at the wall opposite with empty eyes. His daughter wasn't a Kuchiki. She should not have been taken for that purpose.

His daughter wasn't a Kuchiki.

He was a captain.

He's scorned people. Whether because he was doing his job in Rukongai or whether he has yelled at a member of his Division, he's made people angry.

This was not necessarily an attack on the Kuchiki family, but on him.

If it was, would Rukia ever forgive him if something happened to her? Would he forgive himself?

He opened his eyes when he felt a body besides his, Rukia's head came to a rest on his shoulder. Her forehead pressing into him, he could hear her soft sniffles and feel the shake of her body. He figured it was a bit much for her. This was the second time in one week that it has happened.

"I'm a bad mother." She whispered. "I should've looked after her better. I should've watched them."

"You are not a bad mother." He said firmly.

Good Lord she was not. Kai didn't cry like she was being murdered when Rukia was around. Kai smiled and laughed and…

"If anything, I'm a bad father." He said softly as he rested his hand on the back of her head. "I'm a captain too; I should plan for these things."

They sat in silence. They could hear their Divisions – he was pretty sure if Momo and Kurosaki had known about what was going on, they'd have helped too, but both leaders of the Fifth Division was doing a check up on business in Rukongai – looking for Kai.

None of it was helping.

"NA!"


	25. 25

**Next chappie. And here is more of that vague, seemingly non-existent plot I have for this. **

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews guys!**

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach!**

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"Take your child!"

Hitsugaya blinked as the violet-eyed girl was suddenly shoved into his line of sight. He carefully reached out, wondering if this was a dream of sorts, his heart hammering and took her. She was real. He raised his eyes to the man who had just shoved her into his arms.

Kurotsuchi looked like he was doing everything he could to restrain himself from killing her. Hitsugaya found himself pulling her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "Bloody child is worthless for experimenting, she has no spirit force!" he declared as if it was scandalous.

There was a moment's pause, then the crack of a fist against skin and Kurotsuchi was stumbling slightly to the side as Rukia cradled her fist against her chest. Hitsugaya forced himself not to look at the way her shihakusho folded around her breasts with the way she was holding her hand. "You bastard!" Rukia hissed. "How dare you take my…"

She trailed off as Kurotsuchi's spirit force folded around them. "You imbecilic girl!" he screeched. "I did not take her, she wandered into my Division. I have warned you people, anything that comes into there belongs to me!" he sneered and stepped forward. Kai's wails started to flow into the air, whether from all the shouting or the massive amount of spirit force, Hitsugaya wasn't sure. He just carefully rose to his feet, pressed her tiny head into his shoulder and tightened his arms around her.

"Kurotsuchi," he growled softly.

The man snapped to him with narrowed eyes and huffed, lowering his spirit force. Hitsugaya handed Kai to Rukia, the latter being the easier to deal with the former when she cried. Kurotsuchi studied them quietly for a moment before he rested his hands on his zanpakuto's hilt, pressing it forward slightly, but not in an aggressive manner, merely as if he was deep in thought.

"We have been informed of that child." He said suddenly. "Unohana told the Captain Commander about her."

Hitsugaya studied him for a moment. Kai had been gone for more than an hour, if she had been purposely kept from the streets they would not have found her. That meant that Kurotsuchi had done something to her anyway.

"I did a few tests." He went on, his eyes more serious than Hitsugaya had ever seen him in his reign as captain. His fists clenched as Kurotsuchi's words sunk in.

"Your daughter doesn't exist."

Kurotsuchi's lieutenant caught the fist he swung out. She held no emotion as she looked at him and he could tell she was straining beneath the force he was using. "She's right there you bastard." He hissed.

"There are records, Hitsugaya." The man spoke. "Back off, you pathetic girl." He snapped to the lieutenant. Hitsugaya said nothing, no matter what they did, he never spoke to her any differently. "The Court knows of every soul that enters Soul Society through Soul Burial." He went on, holding one hand up when Hitsugaya intended to tell him that Kai was a pureblood shinigami. "The record for pureblood shinigami is much smaller, but every child born to a shinigami couple has its name added there the moment they give their first cry. Everything updates automatically."

"Hitsugaya Kai has never been born."


	26. 26

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**Hehe, not per se answers to the former chapter, but I promise there will be answers...as soon as my writing driver makes it renewed appearance. God I hope that is soon. Anyway, new chappie, I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**I don't own Bleach.**

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Hitsugaya stared at Kai.

She was sitting quietly, playing with her new toys, in the center of Rukia's living room while the latter was making dinner, still fuming about what Kurotsuchi had said.

The man had made a point though.

There are two records in Soul Society to watch Soul Traffic. One is for the Soul Burial and the other for Pureblood shinigami born into Soul Society.

The Soul Burial record is hooked up to the name of every shinigami in Soul Society; everyone starts out at the bottom anyway. This record updates the amount of souls a shinigami has sent to Soul Society. Captains normally have the lowest rate of souls sent to Soul Society, depending on how long it had taken them to reach their rank.

The other literally updates the way Kurotsuchi had said. How it works, he doesn't know. He's never bothered with tinkering of the records. The moment a child cries that record knows who it is, who its parents are and where it was born. The list only updates the children of shinigami, not souls nor half-shinigami.

Why he hadn't thought of checking the list he didn't know either.

It meant that Kai – solid, having been around for little over four months, his baby girl Kai – does not exist, that the child before him was not born; she was yet to be conceived according to that list. It made no sense because she was right there. She was a healthy baby girl, both Kurotsuchi and Unohana has confirmed it. There was no intangibility about her; she was real.

Yet the record stated she was not.

And it's not broken.

It doesn't break.

He got up slowly. Rukia didn't want to talk about it. She was ignoring him every time he tried to mention it. He didn't mask his spirit force; she would know he was up to something if he did. He quietly stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back into him, folding his arms around her arms to keep them from moving.

"Rukia," he said softly.

"No, Toshiro." She answered. "She's right there. She's real. I don't care what that record says, she's right there and she's real. She still needs us. She still needs to be taken care of, to be loved. I refuse to abandon her because some stupid machine says she doesn't exist. She's…she's my…she's my daughter!" she said firmly. "She's my baby girl. And I…"

"I know." He murmured softly. "I know that. But we should start thinking…"

"If it comes up, it comes up." She snapped. She wiggled around until she could turn around and look him in the eye. "I love her." She stated firmly. "Do you?"

He paused as he stared down into eyes that looked exactly like Kai's.

Did he?


	27. 27

**And...I leave you all in the dark again. Hehehehe, forgive me. At least Shiro is contemplating in this chapter. **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach!**

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It was a dreary day outside.

Rukia was sitting on his sofa, doing half of Matsumoto's paperwork. Kai was playing in what had effectively been dubbed her corner. Matsumoto was drooling on her desk as she slept and he was detailing a finance report for the Tenth Division's monthly costs from the former month.

Rukia didn't talk about anything that could possibly lead to Kai's existence and those that mentioned it was ignored for long periods of time, so no one bothered mentioning it. Hitsugaya was having an inner struggle with himself about whether or not he actually felt anything similar to love for both mother and child. It was confusing him. He's never felt anything of the stuff he's been feeling in the last four months and he wasn't sure how to interpret them.

He cared for them, that were true, however caring and loving was two different things.

How did one figure out they loved something? He could understand that a human life didn't come with a manual, but couldn't a shinigami's life have come with one? That would've been nice. He'd have known exactly when he was supposed to fall in love and how it was supposed to happen. But no, fate just had to hate him. He should've known, he should've known the moment he found Kai on his doorstep that he was not going to have a normal life. That his life just couldn't be normal.

He was the boy genius after all; he was supposed to know everything.

Well he had news for that person. He didn't know everything.

He figured he might be in love with Rukia. Have an honest to God crush on the woman. There was just something about Kuchiki Rukia that had him thinking about her in a near constant montage of thought. Even when he was doing paperwork. However Kai was a different thing. He was her father. By blood it was proven, but he didn't know if he loved her. Tolerated and cared for her, but loved her? He didn't know.

And it made him feel guilty.

"Ichi…"

He blinked and raised his head to look at Rukia. "Sorry?" he questioned.

She was looking at Matsumoto. "I thought it was Nee-sama." She said curiously.

Matsumoto was still sleeping. They both peered at the woman carefully. She wasn't moving, well she was, her back was rising and falling with her breathing pattern, but otherwise she was immobile and fast asleep.

"Ichi…"

The voice wasn't Matsumoto's either. It was more childlike, as if amused by something they were doing. His eyes widened and his head snapped towards Kai. She was beaming at them, her tiny arm raised to the door. "Ichi…" she said again now that she had his attention.

A moment later Kurosaki's familiar spirit force settled around them as he slid the door open. "Bastard!" Rukia snapped angrily. "You took my daughter's first word!"

Kurosaki scoffed. "Yeah? So wha…" the orange haired man trailed off and looked at Kai, staring pretty much in the same manner Hitsugaya was staring.

Was Kai capable of sensing spirit force?


	28. 28

**This chapter is a bit of a mood dampner (I wonder this is the right spelling), but I figure that anyone in Toshiro's position would be confused. No matter what his end decision is or what he thought before. **

**Hmm, not much else to say. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach!**

* * *

Turned out to be a fluke.

Kai could say names now, which was not helpful for actual conversation, but she couldn't sense anything.

Her array of names was something Hitsugaya was glad he didn't fall under. He was just 'Ka' or 'Da' depending on whichever mood she was in.

He still believed that an asleep Kai was the best Kai, which was where she was now, sleeping in her bedroom, soundly.

He was close to sleep himself, having been the one to put Kai to bed. She was quite the chatterbox, though she just named people. She liked talking it would seem and she easily wore him out. He was feeling cheated again, captains shouldn't get worn out by talkative children. He assumed this was the reason Zaraki slept like a rock, he had two talkative brats constantly around him.

"Toshiro?" he tilted his head up and looked at Rukia, having made himself comfortable on her bed. Kuchiki really did know how to dish up the goods for a comfortable life style. He grunted in acknowledgement and rested his head back on the pillow. The bed dipped at his side and he opened his eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

He laughed softly. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just look really tired, more than usual." She responded shrugging. "Everything ok at the office?"

He looked at her seriously again before closing his eyes and running his hand over his face. "Yes. The office is fine." He muttered softly. "I've just been…" he trailed off.

"Investigating her existence." Rukia finished for him.

He felt slightly guilty. "You can't say that you don't find it curious. She exists though she shouldn't. That thing doesn't lie, Rukia. That thing is designed not to lie. Even Yamamoto sotaichou looked at it and he says its in perfect working condition." He muttered. "She's an anomaly."

"Which is why you've been pulling away again," she said slowly. "Which is why you are slowly going back to not wanting to have anything to do with her."

He opened his eyes to answer her, but his voice caught in his throat. She was leaning over him, her hand dipping into the bed beside him. "Should we go on a date again? That seemed to have worked." She muttered as she studied him.

He studied her for a moment, wondering if she knew what game she was playing. If she was playing a game. She looked pretty serious from where he was lying. "Why does it bother you so much?" he asked lowly.

She frowned. "Why? For a genius you sure are an idiot." She snapped. He raised his brows, almost tempted to throw rank at her, but he was the one beneath her and for some reason he thought that was a dangerous position to be in. "We might not have done the deed to conceive her, but you can't just ignore her. You're her dad. Do you have any idea how much she loves you?"

"Did she tell you that?" he asked, forcing himself not to think of the deed that would result in the conception of any child.

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously no. Have you ever noticed how she seeks out your company? How she would start smiling whenever she sees you? How she would reach out to you, even when I'm the one that picked her up? Have you ever noticed any of this?"

"Rukia that doesn't…"

"She's a child that wants her dad and he hates her for some reason."

"I don't…"

She was walking away already. He sighed softly and frowned at the ceiling.

New question:

How did one begin a relationship that seemed to be falling apart before it even started?


	29. 29

****

**Just a tiny moment between Toshiro and Kai. **

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach!**

**

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**

He was supposed to have left.

Rukia had made that clear when she barricaded herself in the bathroom.

He didn't.

Instead he was sitting in Kai's room, staring at the girl that was supposed to be asleep. He wasn't sure exactly when she had woken up, but she was looking at him with large violet blue eyes. And he was seeing what Rukia was talking about.

She was a small child that probably didn't have a clue about the world around her, but that little girl was looking at him like he was her world. Like nothing else would matter as long as her daddy stuck to her side and kept her safe. It was stupid to think she could even know what that would mean, but for some reason the stupid thought wouldn't leave him alone.

"I don't hate you." He muttered. "I just know what I'm supposed to do." He sighed. "Which is annoying as hell, good God if you're as smart as me one day I hope you don't land in this sort of situation. Not having the answers to every question that is asked is annoying as hell. And God forbid it happens with that Zaraki Idiot's kid." She blinked at him. "And don't get me wrong, you're a…nice kid. Cry a lot, but I can deal with that, but I've never had to deal with children like your mother did." She was really looking at him now like she was interested.

"That is another thing I don't understand. If you're in love aren't you supposed to be feeling butterflies or some crap like that? That's not what I feel, but what I feel for her I didn't even feel for Hinamori, which is just wrong cause I've actually shared a bed with Hinamori. Not that you should even attempt shit like that. Ok?" he looked at her, waiting for a response.

"Shit."

He blinked. "Fuck, don't say things like that! You're mother is…"

"Fuck…"

"No! No saying such things. Bad, those are bad words and you'll get scolded for it." She blinked at him. "You don't have a clue what I'm saying do you. You're just repeating everything you find interesting. Find something else interesting, those words aren't good for…your health." What were the chances of a baby believing him anyway?

He sighed. "Look, the most important thing you should know is that I don't hate you. You're a good kid. Insane as hell, I guess, but good nonetheless. I'm not sure I love you, I'm not sure I'm in love with your mom. I'm not sure about a lot of things when it comes to you and your mother, but I promise to try and be the best dad you'll ever have, ok? Not that you can have any other dad unless I keel over and die, but I'll try and be the best dad I can ok?"

"Love."

He smiled faintly. "Yeah, I know. Your mom loves you too and I promise to get there eventually."

"Da!"

It was a promise.


End file.
